Cheated by travel agency, tourists stranded in Chennai

A peaceful family vacation turned into a nightmare for 27 people, who are stranded in Chennai after being duped by Kundu Tirtha Special, a Kolkata-based travel agency.

A peaceful family vacation turned into a nightmare for 27 people, who are stranded in Chennai after being duped by Kundu Tirtha Special, a Kolkata-based travel agency.

The group comprises five West Bengal families, who had approached the agency to arrange a tour of South India.

The journey soon became a bad experience, as the agency did not fulfill its promised tour expeditions and hotel arrangements. Worse, the tour manager and the cook, who had escorted the families to south India, also duped and left them. On Wednesday, some of them lodged an FIR at a Madurai police station, before moving to Chennai.

While many do not have enough money to put up in a decent hotel, others who are not being able to get return tickets are forced to remain stranded in hotels.

Dipak Acharya, in his 40s, is stranded in Chennai with his children and wife. Three months ago, he had paid for a 14-day tour package.

A resident of East Midnapore, Acharya is unsure when he will be able to return home.

8220;The hotel where we were staying at Tirupati and the transport company we were using told us that they had not received money from our travel agency,8221; said Acharya.

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8220;Despite having paid for the tour in the beginning, we had to shell out Rs 12,000 to pay the hotel bills,8221; he added.

Situation is worse for people like Bhupendra Chandra Dutta 50, as he is waiting in a cheap dormitory with his 70-year-old mother and two children who are eager to return to their Dhakuria residence.

8220;After being cheated by the agency, I am stranded in Chennai with my family and little amount,8221; said Dutta.

The tourists said they contacted the travel agency8217;s office in Kolkata but it shrugged off the responsibility.

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Travel associations have asked customers to approach only those travel agencies that have an accreditation to either Travel Agent Association of India TAAI or Indian Association of Tour Operators or other credible associations.

8220;People should be careful when choosing travel agents. Kundu Tirtha Special was not affiliated with us,8221; said Devendra Parakh, chairman, eastern region of TAAI.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2006, another travel agency of Kolkata had duped several people on a false promise of football World Cup tickets and hotel accommodations in Germany.